Trestle Table

Dining table I recently finished. Kind of a modern trestle with breadboard ends. Fun build. Black walnut with waterlox finish. First bent wood lamination. The curved shoulders for the through tenons that attached the feet where.. interesting…

That s a very impressive table. Good work. I have to build something similar. How did you join the top? Biscuits/dominos or just a glue? Did you pin the breadboard ends?

- mlipps

The top is just edge glued, if you take your time (use white glue) alignment is not much of an issue. In terms of strength, just the glue is certainly sufficient. (IMHO).

I did the breadboard ends a bit different this time. Given the table is 8’ long, I didn’t have enough length in the main body of the top to create a tenon. I create loose tenons (mortise on both table and breadboard, all but the middle two a bit larger for wood movement).

I pinned them from underneath (i personally like the pins, my wife, not so much). Only glue the center tenons!

Create a spring joint between the breadboard end and the main body of the top (i.e. use your plane to take a little tiny bit of the center, say, 2’). This will create a small gap when jointed, but, as you clamp the center, the pressure created on the parts not sprung close REALLY tight.